Finder Credit Card Awards 2021

The Finder Credit Card Awards 2021 celebrate Australia's best credit cards. Credit cards can be helpful if you need to pay for a big-ticket item, are looking to score some rewards points, build up your credit profile or in the case of an emergency. Check out the winner for best credit cards across a range of categories below.

Best Balance Transfer Credit Card

Great Southern Bank (formerly CUA) Low Rate Credit Card

The Great Southern Bank Low Rate Credit Card offered a consistent 0% balance transfer rate for between 18 and 25 months with no balance transfer fee. To keep costs low it also features a $0 first year annual fee and a purchase rate of 11.99% p.a.

Finalists

• ANZ Low Rate
• HSBC Platinum Credit Card - Balance Transfer Offer

How we chose best balance transfer credit card

Best Traveller Card

Bankwest Zero Platinum Mastercard

The Bankwest Zero Platinum Mastercard offers 0% foreign transaction fees when shopping internationally- both overseas and online. For those who like to shop, the ongoing $0 annual fee and competitive 14.99% p.a. interest rate are also a plus.

Finalists

• Commonwealth Bank Low Fee Gold Credit Card
• Westpac Lite Card

How we chose best credit card for travellers

Best Frequent Flyer Credit Card

American Express Velocity Platinum Card

The American Express Velocity Platinum Card offers bonus Velocity Points, a complimentary annual domestic flight and airport lounge passes. On top of that, it has the highest Velocity Points earn rate in Australia at 1.25 points per $1 spent.

Finalists

• ANZ Frequent Flyer Black Credit Card
• Qantas Premier Platinum

How we chose best frequent flyer credit card

Best Low Rate Credit Card

American Express Low Rate Credit Card

The Low Rate Credit Card from American Express offers a competitively low purchase interest rate of 8.99% p.a. A rate that low is rarely combined with a $0 annual fee but that is what sets this Amex apart.

Finalists

• Illawarra Credit Union Low Rate Credit Card
• Bank of us Visa Credit Card

How we chose best low rate credit card

Best Rewards Credit Card

Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard

The Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard offers great value with an ongoing $0 annual fee, Flybuys points for everyday spending and 55 interest-free days on purchases. Throughout the year it also offered introductory 0% rates on balance transfers and purchases.

Finalists

• Hume Clear Visa Credit Card
• ANZ Rewards Credit Card

How we chose best rewards credit card

Best No Annual Fee Credit Card

American Express Low Rate Credit Card

The Low Rate Credit Card from American Express offers an ongoing $0 annual fee with up to 4 free additional cardholders. On top of that, it features a competitively low rate of 8.99% p.a. on purchases.

Finalists

• Heritage Bank Gold Low Rate Credit Card
• Hume Value Visa

How we chose best no annual fee credit card

🧪 Methodology: How we chose our Finder Award Winners

Our team of expert analysts use an objective rating system to determine our award winners.

• We include all of the personal credit cards in our database - which contains every credit card we can find online.
• We compare each card's credentials with all other cards which are live in the market each month, and combine those scores over the full 12 months to calculate a final score.
• We exclude any credit cards that are only available to a certain subset of customers based on bank patronage or location.

• Best Balance Transfer Credit Card – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • Cards must offer 0% p.a. balance transfer
  • Cards must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria

  Presumptions

  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Annual fee 20%
  • Purchase interest rate 2.5%
  • Revert rate 2.5%
  • Balance transfer period 55%
  • Balance transfer fee 20%

• Best Card for Travellers – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • Cards must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria

  Presumptions

  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Annual fee 10%
  • Domestic purchase interest rate 10%
  • Overseas Medical Insurance 10%
  • Max international transaction fee 60%
  • International ATM fee 10%

• Best Frequent Flyer Card – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • Must directly earn frequent flyer points with Virgin or Qantas
  • Not business card
  • Card must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria
  • Annual fee below $500

  Presumptions

  • Qantas and Virgin Australia points will be treated equally
  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Annual fee 25%
  • Purchase interest rate 2.5%
  • Soft points cap 5%
  • Signup and minimum spend bonus points 25%
  • Max international transaction fee 5%
  • Basic earn rate (points per dollar) 27.5%
  • Lounge passes 10%

• Best Low Rate Credit Card – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • The interest rate must be 15% or under
  • Temporary low rates not included
  • Cards must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria
  • Monthly fee, no interest cards excluded

  Presumptions

  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Annual fee 20%
  • Purchase interest rate 70%
  • Interest free days 10%

• Best Rewards Credit Card – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • The card must award a rewards program but NOT direct Qantas or Virgin points
  • Card must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria
  • Rewards gift cards must be usable in multiple retail outlets
  • Card must offer gift card choice - points earned at the standard rate on general purchases must be exchangeable for gift cards in more than one retailer at the same rate

  Presumptions

  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Annual fee 25%
  • Purchase interest rate 5%
  • Points cap 5%
  • Signup and minimum spend bonus points 20%
  • Max international transaction fee 5%
  • Spend required for $100 voucher 40%

• Best No Annual Fee Credit Card – Methodology

  Selection Criteria

  • Cards must charge no annual fee
  • Cards offering no fee for a limited period will not be included
  • Cards must not require loans or specific amounts of savings as eligibility criteria
  • Monthly fee, no interest cards excluded

  Presumptions

  • Tiebreakers are ranked by the lowest interest rate

  Weighting

  • Purchase interest rate 80%
  • Interest free days 10%
  • Rewards program 10%